senators reids and mcconnell are discussing a potential agreement where we can get a bipartisan bill out of the senate over to the house and done in a timely fashion so that we met the december 31st deadline. but given how things have been working in this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens. the one thing that the american people should not have to wait and see is some sort of action so if we don't see an agreement between the two leaders in the senate, i expect a bill to go on the floor. and i've asked senator reid to do this, put a bill on the floor that makes sure that taxes on middle-class families don't go up. that unemployment insurance is still available for 2 million people, and that lays the groundwork then for additional deficit reduction and economic growth steps that we can take in the new year. >> all of this still developing. and we will have more on all of it with mark shields and david brooks later in the program. >> also ahead >> warner: also ahead, between now and then; protesting a gang rape in india; mass producing high quality education